Braylon’s back: 49ers WR doesn’t plan to miss more time

And the 49ers wide receiver says he’ll be back in the lineup for the foreseeable future after he sat out last week’s NFC-West-clinching win over the Rams to due to shoulder and knee injuries.

‘I don’t plan to watch any more clinching going on without me,” Edwards said. “That was a little 50-50 to watch. I don’t plan on missing any more games. I plan on playing and playing to the best of my ability. And I think we’ll increase reps based on week to week. So that’s the plan now.”

Here’s today’s Q&A with Edwards:

Q: How are you feeling?

BE: We’re trying to do everything we can to get it back to as good as it can be for the rest of the season. So sitting out last week was beneficial, I believe, for both ailments, or nags, as you will. So it’s feeling good. We got a lot of work done last week. A lot of work with (trainer Jeff Ferguson) and the training staff as well as (strength coach Mark Uyeyama) in the weight room. I feel good about going this weekend, making some plays out there.

Q: Was it a lot of hot tub/cold tub staff?

BE: I wish it was just that. That would have been easy. No, it was a lot of strengthening. Just strengthening of the knee, strengthening of the quad, the areas around it. Those are the two. Sitting out that week really allowed me to bang, bang. Bang on the knee, bang on the shoulder. Versus trying to do a little bit of treatment and a little bit of reps in practice. Last week was good for it.

Q: What do you mean bang on the knee?

BE: I’m saying when you’re trying to strengthen, you really want to get after it. You want to squat. You want to do everything that you can to strengthen the surrounding areas where your injury is. If you strengthen those surrounding muscle it will make that actual area hurt less. So that’s what we did last week versus in the past you’re trying to do just enough and mix in some practice reps. So last week was real good.

Q: Standing on the sideline watching 270 yards passing … when you get back in there how do you think the offense can move forward?

BE: It’s about what (wide receiver coach John Morton), coach Roman and coach Harbaugh want. Alex has a good chemistry and a good rhythm going on right now with Crab and KW and Ted’s making some plays as well as Vernon and Delanie. So we’re not trying to throw that timing off. I think it’s a situation where we feel good about what we feel good about in practice and then we try to utilize that. We don’t try to create something that’s not there right away. We just keep going on what we’re building on, which is what you guys have been asking for. So we don’t want to take away from that. Just add a little bit if possible.

Q: There have been problems in the red zone. Are you excited about being able to help in that area?

BE: I am excited. My knee feels better than it has. I’m excited to just get out there and practice and go hard. And whatever the teams wants me to do this week, we’ll definitely get it done. In the red zone, I’m one of the bigger wide receivers so it’s always a fun area, if you will. So we’ll get that work done this week and hopefully we’ll utilize on Sunday if we practice it the right way this week.

Q: Is that something you’ve always enjoyed – being a target in the red zone?

BE: It is. With taller receivers, you usually get touchdowns or pass interferences. So that’s always good for the offense. If you get the touchdown, you get the six. Pass interference, you’re looking at first-and-goal at the 1. So it’s always fun to be down there. There usually is a high probability when you’re dealing with the Calvin Johnsons and the Andre Johnsons – the bigger guys – that you make those plays.

Q: Do you think you’re back for good now?

BE: I would hope so. I don’t plan to watch any more clinching going on without me. That was a little 50-50 to watch. I don’t plan on missing any more games. I plan on playing and playing to the best of my ability. And I think we’ll increase reps based on week to week. So that’s the plan now.